jjsmiles

You may also want to consider an "all in one" under garment. It is basically a body suit that does up in the crotch area and has the bra as well. You can get them in light to heavy support. They can be hot in the summer, but they hold you in, and you can't "roll out" in various places and the garment won't move or roll down. They can give you a really smooth silhouette. I know that department stores usually sell them. You can probably google it and see bazillions on line. Also check out regarding the panni procedure as another writer said - you may have the option of having your insurance cover that. You can always ask :wink2: Good luck.

Wow Salsa, You look amazing! I can't believe the difference. I think you said the doc removed 4 1/2 pounds - it looks more like 20!!! I wouldn't know from the pics that you are barely out of surgery. Congratulations!!! I hope you can get some more rest and your recovery continues as well as it seems to have gone so far. I'm sure your level of physical fitness has to have been very helpful in the entire process. Take care Jacquie

Hand me downs, thrift stores, consignment, wal mart, end of season sales. I have gone through my wardrobe 4 times now :tt1:. I didn't have any "smaller clothes" to rely on, but I had a girlfriend who lost lots of weight and passed down about 5 sizes of pants, which was great!!! Shopping has become a mini obsession now - but only for stuff on a really good sale. I do find it a reward (and very motivating) to put on clothes that fit and make me look and feel good. Last week I went to a mall and tried on clothes in "regular" stores for the first time in my adult life. I had a terrific time, didn't buy anthing - before I hated shopping :tt1: I also find it very amusing and motivating to go to a thrift shop and leave with a complete outfit (top and bottom) that cost $12 or less. Seriously, I think it is really important to make sure that you have at least one or two things in your closet at any given time that actually fit you. It does wonders for your self esteem and others will notice your losses. I know it all costs money, but I think you will find it worthwhile not to look like a bag lady all the time :tt1:

Most of the literature I have read, including the brochure from the band maufacturer say that you "may" want to avoid NSAID's as they "may irritate the stomach, causing the band to be removed" (from the manufacturer, INAMED, literature). You need to discuss this with both your GI doc and your band doc so they are fully aware of your circumstances. Maybe there have been advances in medications and you can try another drug that will help your pain and your condition that won't irritate the band. Please note that in all likelihood your GI doc will know nothing about the band so you will probably have to educate. The only hospital and docs in Calgary who have any real info on the band are through the Peter Lougheed hospital as it is the only facility that deals with the band here. I don't know anything about ulcers, but if there is a problem with irritation, scarring and swelling around the time of the surgery, I would think that may have a major impact on the successful placement of the band, which needs at least a couple of weeks of "settling" time so that it can heal in the proper position. It is stitched to the outside of your stomach, so if your tummy is rumbling and irritated during the immediate post op period, the band can slip (hence the liquid diet after surgery). Where are you getting banded? I am from Calgary and was banded through the CHR Weight Management Clinic last September. It is the best decision I have ever made, although the last year has been a lot of work, it has also been incredibly rewarding. Good luck to you and your friend.

Well I am certainly not a marathon runner - in fact I just started up the nerve to start running short intervals (over 1 mile, 1 run 30 seconds and walk 1 min, alternating over 13 and a half minutes) last week. I have actively and passively resisted exercise for most of my life and thought a good walk was walking thru the mall shopping. I don't know the last time I would have taken a walk because I wanted to. I knew that I would have to do more if I wanted to be successful and maintain my weight loss, so I joined a gym that is on my drive home from work, so I wouldn't have an excuse not to go. I have been exercising intensely over the last 7 months. When I joined my gym I was 273 pounds and the first time the trainer told me to get on the eliptical machine, I thought she was joking. She wasn't. 7 minutes later, I almost fell off with my Jello legs and my red, sweating face. Over the 7 months I have worked my up to 45 minutes (18 minutes are pedalling backwards at a resistance of "7"). In that 45 minutes I do just over 4 miles, so I guess you would call that running. I still have a red face and sweat profusely though :frown:. During the same workout, I then do a 24 minute sprint circuit (think curves - combo strength and cadio). I then do at least 45 minutes on the treadmill. Because of the pressure on my joints, I can't go nearly as fast and it has taken me that length of time to build up to 4.3 speed (which is just under a 14 minute mile). It is at this speed that I walk/run in my latest challenge - so no I am not fast, but I am willing. My record for endurance was last week when I did over 9 and 1/4 miles of cardio in 125 minutes. Is that close enough to a marathon for you? I also did the sprint circuit in the same workout. I would say on average I am now doing 7 miles at least 3 times per week. Don't ask me why I did / do it - I think it is my obsessional personality shining through. I sometimes don't want to go, but I still do, and once I am there, I can't seem to help but try and challenge myself more and more. I don't look at anyone else there (although I can wipe most of their a$$es when it comes to endurance :thumbup:). It is a ladies only gym and you see every shape, size and fitness level, so I have felt comfortable there since the beginning. I will note that I was probably close to the biggest person that I ever saw at the gym when I first started there. My fitness goals have been like the rest of this journey - very personal and for noone else but me, so I don't think I have been intimidated or overwhelmed. By far the hardest thing to do was bite the bullet and make an appointment to go in. I am just as proud of my increasing fitness level as I am of my weight loss. Long story short, Harvest, if you want to do it, you can. You start at your level and your pace. The most important thing to do is to actually do something to increase your activity levels. You will feel better, be more flexible, and build more strength and endurance. Hopefully the quality of your life will vastly improve. Mine sure did.

Isn't it an amazing feeling when we "dare" to do things we have been hestiant to do in the past - either out of fear of not being able to do it, fear of being humiliated, fear of not being able to fit or fear of breaking something? I think that is truly one of the best things about weight loss - the sense of freedom that I am just now beginning to accept as normal. Great accomplishments everyone!! Georgia - that is awesome that you can be truly "taken" with your wedding rings. I have seen your picture and I know you are gorgeous, so your DH should be a little possessive :biggrin2: Jacquie

I'm not sure if this is a true NSV, but I was pretty excited :thumbup: I was at the gym yesterday (I go to a ladies only gym) and one of the employees/trainers approached me. The gym does a "wall of success" every year where they post before/after pictures and stories of people for motivation and inspiration. They take professional "after" pictures and the pictures and stories are posted up for a year. They asked me to be part of the wall for next year. ME - FORMALLY SUPER OBESE ME BEING ON THE SUCCESS WALL OF A GYM :tt2:. I didn't know how to respond - I was so blown away. Anyways - I said I had to think about it. I think I will say yes - even just for the irony of having my picture up in a gym as being a good thing (not in the "this could happen to you if you don't get control of yourself" cautionary tale kind of way) :biggrin2:. I just had to share this. Thanks for reading!!!

I am not much of a cook, but as part of this journey I am making most of my meals. I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers community forum and made it for dinner this evening: 3 oz boneless skinless chicken thigh (or breast) up to 1 Tbsp of Taco Seasoning (to taste) 2 Tbsp Salsa 1 oz lite cheddar or swiss cheese 1 Tbsp light or fat free sour cream Season chicken with taco spice. Bake for 20 minutes at 375. Add salsa and cheese to top of chicken, bake for 7 more minutes. Remove from oven and top with sour cream and enjoy. I made this recipe with the thigh, about 2 tsp of the seasoning, light swiss cheese (1 slice =22 g), and fat free sour cream. I can eat quite a lot, so I managed to eat the entire thigh. It was absolutely delicious and came out at 227 calories, 8 grams of fat, 2 grams of fibre. Good thing I have leftovers for two more meals

Sorry - I missed part of your question. I have lost at least 8 pounds a month since banding. I have had some plateau like times where I have gone 3-4 weeks without losing anything- but then I lose 8 pounds in a week or two. Some months I lose 10 or 12 pounds. I am expecting it to slow down right away. I did pick 180 as my goal, but only because it was under 200, and I couldn't conceive being under 200. I am thinking I would like to get to 160, but I haven't changed my ticker yet. I want to be able to say I reached goal before I change it :thumbup:

Thanks Fran No real secrets. I am not overly restricted (I can eat about 3-4 oz of Protein and a cup of vegetables at a meal) and I tolerate all foods. I am doing well, so I don't want to be more restricted. I try to stay to about 1000 calories per day. I journal everything I eat and I exercise at least 60 minutes 4-5 times per week (cardio and sprint circuit). I eat all foods, including carbohydrates. If I want to have something (including pizza and chocolate), I have it, just not all the time. I always plan at least one snack (sometimes 2) in the evening, as I struggle with head hunger in the evenings. Pretty typical day for me: Breakfast: pkg instant oatmeal or egg white omelette with ww toast snack: piece of fruit lunch: 2 slices weight watchers bread, 2 oz of lean protein, mustard, small yogurt dinner: 3-4 oz of lean protein, 1 cup (or more) of cooked vegetables snack: 100 calorie popcorn, vitamuffin, 2 sticks turkey pepperoni, laghing cow cheese and crackers, fruit I still drink coffee (not decaf). I try not to drink with my meals though. Fran - I think losing 118 pounds and keeping them off is an incredible achievement!!!!!

I'm sending out postive, lucky "vibes" your way Julie.

You are so stunning in that picture!!!!! Way to go girl

Good Luck Ladies, You have all done so terrific!!! I know that you all want to lose that last 20 pounds, and I wish you all the best, but I have to put in a plug for how well you have done so far :thumbup: I am so proud of you all - to know that you have all lost most of your excess weight and kept it off for almost 2 years now. That is AWESOME !!!!! One of my "secret" fears is that I will lose so much weight, and then I will let old habits sneak back in and the weight will come back on. It is inspiring to see your journey continue and to see how determined you all are. I will be following this thread - if there is anything I can do to help - let me know!!! Jacquie

Great job Karen, I have been following your posts in several of the ps threads and you are so wonderful. You are informative and supportive at the same time. You are a true inspiration. :thumbup: Good luck on the last 20. I know you can do it!!!! Jacquie

I use both at the gym. I have worked up to 45 minutes and 4 miles on the eliptical - I challenge myself by doing about 18 of those minutes backwards and now have worked up to doing about 16 minutes not holding on to anything (great for my balance). Let me tell you I have worked up an incredible "glow" by the time I am finished. For those of you that find the eliptical painful, if your gym has different types, try them. My gym has peddle ones and slider ones. I thought the sliders looked too hard (the incline on the slide seems really high), but once I tried it I was hooked. I don't feel any aches in my knees, hips or feet. My body shape and size likes those ones much better!!! The slider brand that my gym has is Precor. I get bored with the treadmill, and I find I can't work up a sweat as easily, but I think the impact is good for my joints, so I keep plugging away at it. I do have to hang on when I am on the treadmill (at least one hand and depending on the speed and incline mostly two handed) as I am afraid of falling off (have seen and heard someone do it at the gym and it terrified me!!) I have been working up my speed and incline and in the last week have been trying to work up to a jog. Yesterday at the 3 mile mark I sped up to 4.3 and did 10 intervals of 30 seconds jogging and 1 minute of walking. I sure worked up a "glow" doing that!!! If you would have asked me if I would be jogging 6 months ago, I would have fell down laughing (which would have been a problem, as I would have needed help getting up again :smile2:).

Happy Birthday to both Salsa and Canada :smile2:

I still get the shoulder pain (feels like the post op gas pain) when I am "over empty" (if I haven't eaten in over 5 or 6 hours). It can be very achy.

It depends on a lot of things. Your doctor may fill very conservatively and/or you may need more saline in your band to feel restricted. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but some people have to get 4 or 5 fills before they really reach much restriction. There is no way to know or predict. Some docs use fluoro for fills, so they can see how stuff is moving thru your band. Some people report that this helps them feel restriction faster. Mine doesn't use fluoro or x-rays, so I can't comment. After your first fill, follow your clinics after care directions (i.e 1-2 days of liquids, then 1-2 days of mushies, then solids) as your stomach will likely swell after the fill. You may feel quite restricted at the office and for the first couple of days and then it may go away. This is normal. I don't know how big your band is. but mine holds up to 10 cc's of saline. I am at 7 cc's and have (for me) decent restriction, but I think I prefer my band much looser than many on this site. I still eat 3-4 oz of Protein and a cup of cooked vegetables for dinner. I was "lucky" in that I got to 7 cc's with 2 fills. A friend of mine who got banded by someone else took 6 fills to get to 7 cc's. My doctor told me once that in his experience, with my size of band, many people take 7-9 cc's to feel really restricted. Probably the only advice I can give, is do your best and try to eat like a restricted bandster to the best of your ability. I don't agree with starving yourself by only eating 1/2 cup at meals if that doesn't satisfy you, as I think it leads to frustration and depression and rebound eating when you don't have restriction. But do remember, the feeling of being absolutely stuffed is a thing of the past, so try to pay attention to your body and stop eating when you feel satisfied, rather than the traditional "full". This is easier by taking smaller bites, eating way slower and really chewing your food. Try to make healthy choices whereever you can. Journal your food intake so you know what you are eating and can make adjustments to your choices and your quantities accordingly. Increase your activity levels. Sorry I can't give you any miracle answers that will make this part of your journey easier :wink_smile:.

As previously suggested by Georgia Girl, I make my tuna and chicken salad with Tostitos Spinach Dip. 2 Tbsp has 50 calories, 4 g of fat, 1 g of fibre and 1 g of Protein. I don't have any regular mayo in my house, but this dip has 1/2 the calories of light mayo. It is delicious and adds a bit of snap and crunch (it has tiny pieces of red pepper, Water chesnut and spinach) to the salads. The southwestern dip by tostitos is also delicious.

One of my biggest decisions - and one of my best . This decision has to be about you and you alone. You are the only one who can make this work and make the committment to success. This is really hard work - way harder than I thought it would be - but believe me, I look to a year ago and I am a different person. I have more confidence, higher self esteem, I am healthy. I exercise like a demon now (it is kind of my new obsession!!!). These good points are not just about the band though - they are more about me and the changes I have made to and for myself. I had cleaned out one of my closets at Christmas to make room for new clothes, but had left another closet alone. Last night I decided to tackle it - 8 huge garbage bags later and I really feel cleansed. At Christmas I struggled because I had some beautiful clothes that I had gathered over the years and I was mourning them a bit. Yesterday - I was really saddened by how big I used to be (I could wrap my blouses around me 2x). I think I have always liked myself, but now I feel I know myself and can see my potential as a person. I think I hid a lot beneath my veil of obesity - now I am more ready to expose myself - the good and the bad. My only regret - that the option wasn't available to me earlier. Good luck - just remember you get back what you put into it!!!! :redface:

Salsa - you show such determination and grit in everything you do. You are an awesome inspiration for us all. Congrats on all your achievements and best of luck (can you say break a leg for ps?) on July 3. Take care of your leg and yourself and keep us posted!

Congratulations Indigo!!! You look so beautiful!!!!!!

I had joined ww while I was waiting to be banded and did very well on it, as I had been also going through the classes through my clinic and seeing a psychologist and was really ready for the committment. After being banded, I haven't gone back to the meetings, but I still follow the flex point program (to a degree). I usually stay at around 20 points, rather than the amount I am allowed. I find it helpful though as by journalling and following the plan, I am eating nutritious food and finding creative ways to add as much Fiber to my diet as I can. At this point, I usually count calories (around 1000-1200/ day) rather than points, but I can still tell you how many points I eat on any given day :tt2:. If I were struggling, I know the accountability of weekly weigh-ins is really helpful for me, so I would go back in a heartbeat.

You know veg, I don't know if this will help, but as strange as this sounds, I like food more now than ever. The difference is I now look for quality food and savor the flavor rather than just shovelling whatever is convenient in my mouth, as fast as I can and as much as I can. I never tasted the food I ate the way I do now. I too was terrified of "givng up" the comfort that food gave me. I now realize I haven't lost anything (other than a ton of weight ), but rather I have gained self esteem and confidence and skills to deal with the new me. Head hunger is a real issue, but the band will help you stay stomach full for a lot longer so you can (if you are willing and you listen to your stomach rather than your head) battle the head hunger more effectively. I don't deny myself - if I really want pizza or chocolatea, I eat them. What I do do is try to plan for it, so that I don't eat them all the time (and of course I eat less :tt2:). When I have a day where I eat everything in sight (I still have them occasionally), I accept it and the next day I get back to basics. That is the other huge difference. In the past, when I had a difficult eating day, I would get discouraged and just said "screw it" and kept eating everything in sight. I have kept to my eating plan for a year now. I never thought I could do it. This last year has been one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life!!!! You can do it!!!

Great posts everyone!!! In addition to all the others: If you are struggling (even if you are not): Journal what you eat and how much. This will help you be accountable to yourself and more conscious of the choices you make. I know most of my eating issues are around my "unconscious" (or maybe just "oblivious") eating. Plan to learn to eat the way you want to eat for the rest of your life as soon as you can after banding. Don't go on a diet - develop an eating plan that works for you and your lifestyle. Once you get to your goal, you can introduce higher quanitities of food, but if you haven't learned what to eat and how much, that is recipe for weight gain. Know yourself and your challenges. Then make a plan to accomodate those challenges. I am an evening eater and experience lots of head hunger in the evenings. Refusing to snack is not realistic for me. Instead I plan Snacks that are low calorie and low fat, but that still satisfy my urges. In a nutshell - gain consciousness and plan!!!! Don't expect the band to do the job for you. Good Luck!!!